It is known to illuminate a balloon by placing a light source inside the balloon. An illuminated balloon may be used as a decorative item or as a light source for area illumination. U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,941 issued to Penjuke on Mar. 19, 1996, illustrates a small, inflated balloon with a battery operated light source inserted therein. Such balloons are commonly used as novelty items at fairs and circuses. U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,157 issued to the same inventor on Sep. 15, 1998, illustrates a similar device that utilizes a light emitting diode as the light source. The light source for these devices is supported by a tube over which the neck of a balloon is stretched.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,760 issued to Pelton on Jan. 12, 1999, illustrates a larger balloon designed to function as an area illumination device. Each of the above-cited patents is incorporated by reference herein. The balloon 10 of Pelton surrounds a fiber optic light emitter 32 that is mounted on a support ring 18. The support ring 18 is attached to the balloon by two internal support cables 20. Theses cables and the fiber optic cable 16 provide support for the light emitter 32 in only two dimensions, i.e. in the plane of the paper of the patent drawing. The light emitter 32 is free to swing in a direction perpendicular to this plane. The practicality of the use of prior art balloon lighting devices is limited due to the potential for damage to the light source resulting from violent movement of the light source within the balloon during high wind situations. The inadequacy of such a support system is aggravated if the balloon has a small lead or is not entirely filled with gas, since slack in the cables 20 results in additional swinging motion of the light emitter 32. Balloons having incandescent bulbs as the light source have been known to fail due to the hot bulbs swinging against the side of the balloon, thereby burning a hole in the balloon fabric. The stability of prior art balloons is also limited due to the inadequacy of the supporting devices connecting the balloon to the ground, such as the security cables 56 of the Pelton device. Because prior art devices are susceptible to uncontrolled movement and structural failure in windy situations, the application of these devices for outdoor applications has been limited.
Prior art balloon lighting devices used for area illumination applications have also been limited to providing white light only. Fiber optic devices and light emitting diodes have been applied only for novelty applications due to the limited light output of such devices. The wattage of colored incandescent bulbs is limited due to the durability of the colored layer applied to the bulb to obtain the colored light. High wattage lamps are available only with clear glass, and therefore prior art balloon lighting devices have been limited to application requiring white light. Furthermore, prior art balloon lighting devices have been limited to supplying a predetermined intensity of light based upon the selection of the wattage of the bulbs installed within the balloon. An increase or decrease in the desired intensity is accomplished by replacing the bulbs within the balloon. For many applications, such as for lighting of movie sets, it is desirable to have a light source that can be quickly varied in intensity and in the direction of the light beam. The application of balloon lighting devices for sophisticated applications, such as movie set lighting, has been limited by the constraints of prior art designs.